Brush Up Hardwood Skills At Copper State Hoop Clinic

Highly successful Shelby School basketball coach and Copper State Jam Tournament director Steve Rensch is set to host two upcoming youth camps.

Sponsored by the Town Parks and Recreation Department, the Copper State Hoop Clinics will be held from July 9 to 13 and July 16 to 20 in the Payson High School gymnasium.

Weekday sessions are from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Campers may attend one or both sessions. The fee is $40 for one week or $75 for both, and includes a camp T-shirt.

The camp is open to boys entering fifth through eighth grades.

Since the camp is limited to the first 50 who sign up, officials are urging prospective participants to register as soon as possible.

Registration forms are available at Payson Parks and Recreation offices located at Green Valley Park. Call 474-5242, ext. 7 for more information.

The camp, the coach

According to Rensch, the first week of the camp will focus of the fundamentals of basketball including ball handling, passing, defense, rebounding and shooting.

During the second week, the curriculum will expand to include 2 on 2, 3 on 3 and full-court scrimmages. Team defense will also be stressed.

Longtime local hardwood fans remember Rensch as the coach who led the Tonto Village Shelby School Iguanas boys basketball teams to highly successful middle school/junior high school seasons from 1996 to 1999. During those years, the Iguanas outplayed many of the metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson big school teams in district and state tournaments.

Several of those winning players will work as assistants during the camp, including the coach's son Dallas Rensch, Mark Moore, Nick Cassuto and Chicago Houdek.

In addition to stressing the physical aspects and skills of playing basketball, one of Steve Rensch goal's at the camp will be instill in participants the drive to excel, no matter what their physical limitations might be.

"You don't have to have a 40-inch vertical (leap) and run a 4.2 (40-yard dash) to be a winner," he said.

Steve Rensch and his wife Marlow also are the founders of the Copper State Jam tournament that each January draws some of the state's best middle school teams to the Rim country.

From page 1B

Iguanas boys basketball teams to highly successful middle school/junior high school seasons from 1996 to 1999. During those years, the Iguanas outplayed many of the metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson big school teams in district and state tournaments.

Several of those winning players will work as assistants during the camp, including the coach's son Dallas Rensch, Mark Moore, Nick Cassuto and Chicago Houdek.

In addition to stressing the physical aspects and skills of playing basketball, one of Steve Rensch goals at the camp will be to instill in participants the drive to excel, regardless of physical limitations.

"You don't have to have a 40-inch vertical (leap) and run a 4.2 (40-yard dash) to be a winner," he said.

Steve Rensch and his wife Marlow are also the founders of the Copper State Jam tournament that each January draws some of the state's best middle school teams to the Rim country.